Half to a



(No Model.)

W. R. R. TILLION.

THILL COUPLING.

N0. 328,155. Patented Oct. 13, 1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM R. R. TILLION, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO A. O. HALLAM, OF SAME PLACE.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,155, dated October 13, 1885.

Application filed August 13, 1885. Serial No. 174,316. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. R. TIL- LION,Of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Oouplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in thin-couplings; and it consists in the combination of the shaft-iron, having recesses in its rear end, and holding flanges upon each of its sides, with the coupling,which is composed of two parts which are hinged to a connecting rod or bar, each of which pivoted parts is provided with a tenon, stud, or projection to enter thesockets in the rear end of the thilliron, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to provide a thill-coupling in which the coupling can be opened and the shaft removed by simply raising the shafts or tongue up into a vertical position.

Figure 1 is a plan View of a thill-coupling embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a per: spective of the coupling with theshaft-iron removed, the parts being slightly opened. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the thill-iron alone.

A represents the thill or shaft-iron, which has a hole, B, made through its rear end, and in which hole is placed a block or rubber, O, for

the purpose of preventing a rattling noise.

Instead of a single hole which passes entirely through the rear end of the shaft-iron, there may be made two sockets, one in each side of the iron, and in each socket will be placed a piece of rubber or other packing.

Upon opposite sides of the thill-iron, any suitable distance in advance of the sockets B, are formed the holding-flanges D, which will be made preferably of the form here shown. These flanges catch over the cut-away ends F of the pivoted pieces G of the thill-coupling, and thus serve to prevent them from opening, except when the shafts or tongue is raised into a vertical position. These pieces G of the thill-coupling are pivoted at their rear ends to the connecting rod or bar H. Only one of these parts may be pivoted to this bar H so as to open outward, or both parts may be pivoted,as may be preferred. Each one of the parts G has formed upon the inner side of its front end a stud or projection, J, which enters the socket B in the rear end of the thill-iron A.

When it is desired to couple or uncouple the shafts or tongue, it must be raised into a vertical position, so that the rounding rear edge of the holding-flanges on the side of the shaft-iron will come opposite to the edge 0 on the tops of the parts G, and then the two parts G can be closed against the opposite sides of the shaft-iron in such a manner that the sides and projections J will enter the sockets. When the tongue or shafts are lowered, the flanges upon the sides of the shaft-iron will close down over the front of the cutaway ends of the parts G, and thus prevent them from opening so as to release the shaft or tongue.

. The thill-iron will be fastened to the axle in any suitable manner. The connecting-rod H may be made as a part of the clip, or the thill-iron may be separated from the clip, and be fastened to the axle by means of it.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The combination of the connecting-piece H and the thill-irons connected thereto and provided with studs or projections with the shaft-iron provided with sockets, and flanges for catching over the ends of the thill-iron, substantially as shown.

2. The combination of the piece H, the thill-irons G, having one of its parts hinged to the part H, and provided with studs J,and the shaft-iron A, provided with sockets, and flanges D, to catch over the ends of the thilliron, substantially as described.

Intestimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM R. R. TILLION.

Witnesses:

JOHN G. GULIOK, Cans. E. WARDWELL. 

